


Monstrous

by aroundloafofbread



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (for some people), Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Camping, Forests, Happy Ending, Horror, M/M, Monsters, Non-Linear Narrative, With no gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 15:03:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20391643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroundloafofbread/pseuds/aroundloafofbread
Summary: For the Problematic Ship Flash FestA prompt by Miraculous:Harry's a hopeful, young backpacker going on his first trip alone.Voldemort is the hungry monster in the forest Harry's just entered....





	Monstrous

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Miraculous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraculous/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Miraculous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraculous/pseuds/Miraculous) in the [TomarryFlashExchanges](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/TomarryFlashExchanges) collection. 

> **Prompt:**
> 
> Harry's a hopeful, young backpacker going on his first trip alone.  
Voldemort is the hungry monster in the forest Harry's just entered....

**Day 7**:

Harry’s feet pounded through the forest, very nearly tripping several times over the gnarly roots that were raised above the loose soil.

That _thing_ was behind him, had been for the past few hours. Harry’s breaths came in heavy pants as he looked back, trying to catch a glimpse if the _thing_ was still in sight. All he saw were the twisted trunks of the trees and dark green foliage letting sparse rays of light into the dense forest.

It was nowhere to be seen. Harry had long given up on wiping the sweat off his face, allowing it to drip down in rivulets. 

He needed to set up camp somewhere, and soon, before night fell. If anything, he had to be grateful he didn’t lose his backpack. 

**Day 9**:  


Harry made another mark on the token around his neck using his knife. It was nine days since he began his backpacking trip and yet it felt like months. The token hung on a thin, smooth length of rope, showing nine slashes for each day. It was given to him by Hermione, just as she had packed everything else for him.

_Always make note of the time and direction._ She had told him. _The dangers of the forest are more than physical. It does things to your mind too._

He should have listened harder. He had always brushed away their village’s rumours of the monster that lived in the forest. Of an eldritch being that was banished from the village centuries ago by Chief Dumbledore, and now haunted the forests. Harry could no longer deny its existence, having come face-to-face with the creature. If not for his quick reflexes, he would have been its meal.

The minute he saw it he ran and was surprised to find he could outpace it. But it could be due to its uneven, stumbling gait. Still, every so often he would rest but soon enough, catch sight of it again, and he would have to run. He had been doing so for the past four days and was beginning to feel utterly exhausted.

Harry had no idea how much longer he could go on. 

**Day 1**:

“Harry, it’s not too late.” Hermione pleaded.

Ron sighed and smacked Harry hard on the back, causing the messy-haired man to wince. “He’s not going to change his mind, ‘Mione.”

“Of course, I know how stubborn he is.” Hermione said in exasperation. “I just wish for once you would listen, Harry. It's called the Forbidden Forest for a reason.”

Harry grinned and gave his friends a hug. “Look, I’ll be fine, I’ve literally listened to your coaching for months, ‘Mione. Besides, McGonagall said it’s usually supposed to take only a week if I stay on the south side. I’ll be out by then.”

When he turned away, his cheerful smile dimmed a little. He wasn’t a fool to ignore the dangers of camping alone, but he needed to do this for himself. After he had left the Dursleys, he wanted to find himself, ponder on what future he could have. He never had the sort of ambitious drive Hermione had, or a large family to fill his days with joy, like Ron had.

What else was there for him in this world? It was a quote by Dumbledore, one of the village’s leaders centuries ago, who said the forest could help one understand themselves, that led Harry to take the plunge.

He hoped he would find his destiny.

**Day 11**:

_This was a most cruel joke,_ Harry thought. All his equipment gone missing in one night, save for the sleeping bag he was in, the compass and knife in his pocket, and the token around his neck. He had survived for eleven days, but Harry had a feeling he would not for much longer.

It could have been thieves, or other campers and backpackers stealing his items. Perhaps playing a prank? Even as he thought that, Harry knew it could not be true. He had seen no sign of any other camps or people since the second day. He must have moved too deep into the forest. Too far from the south side where most people stayed. 

How could all these be taken from him so quickly and so silently that he had not the slightest hint of awareness until he woke at dawn? He had tried to find them, any sort of bits and pieces that might have been thrown aside.

But they were all gone – vanished into thin air. It was futile.

Harry gathered the pile of nuts and berries he picked onto his sleeping bag and popped a few into his mouth. There had to be a river nearby, according to his map if he had recalled correctly, and he would try for fish the next day. For now, he had to deal with a light dinner after having barely any food in the day. 

**Day 3**:

It was only the third day, but Harry knew something was not right. There were almost no animals around, except for the occasional small rodent. There were no sounds of birds or other wildlife. Too silent but for the rustling of leaves in the breeze. 

It was the worst time to recall the warnings of a monster living in the forest, but Harry was beginning to wonder if there was more credit to the tales than he first thought.

There had been a slight drizzle in the morning which made the ground more slippery and the soil more soggy and uneven for trekking. Harry had on a pair of reliable boots, but he still carefully watched his footing.

He was so concentrated he missed the shadow at the periphery of his eye that kept pace with him through the forest.

**Day 5**:

It was night, but Harry had some difficulty sleeping. His eyes were shut, but his mind was unsettled; his thoughts racing. Somehow, his compass had stopped working, and he had a terrible feeling he had lost his way. He dutifully stuck to the map, but there were things he saw not charted, and things charted that he did not see.

He had to figure out, somehow, a way back to a familiar spot. Retrace his footsteps in a manner of speaking.

It was perhaps his wakefulness that alerted him to another presence in the tent. A shifting in the air that signaled something was different. 

Harry opened his eyes to a monstrous pale-white visage right above his, with glowing red eyes and a maw open wide, revealing far too many rows of teeth. Its claws were outstretched towards Harry, ready to rend and rip.

He screamed. 

**Day 13**:  


Harry sobbed as he pressed back against the rough bark of the tree. He had fallen to the ground, injured as his leg was from tripping over a root and from having the barest to eat and drink in the past couple of days. 

The monster crawled towards him. It was too large, too much of an abomination. Its growls and moans echoing through the deathly silent forest as it slowly made its way over to him, it’s large twisted limbs at odd angles causing it to dig deep furrows into the soil. 

Harry knew then, that it was the end. The monster had reached his legs, where they were hugged close to Harry’s body. It drew itself up and loomed over him.

Harry looked into its eyes then, refusing to turn away as he faced death. He was surprised to see tears in the monster’s blood red eyes, dripping down its waxy skin. It opened its huge maw again and uttered two words that were more guttural noises. It took Harry a few seconds to understand what it said.

“I’m hungry.”

Two simple words and yet Harry suddenly felt lighter, more at peace. He could see now how very weak the creature was. How it shivered, how its stomach caved in below its ribs. Hunger was something he was familiar with, back at the Dursleys. Back when he was nothing but a freak, a monster.

“Even monsters deserve to survive.” Harry murmured. The being stiffened above him.

He smiled at the creature and said, “don’t waste a single part of me”, before closing his eyes shut.

The last thing he felt was a long tongue licking over his face and a searing pain in his chest.

***

**A few months later**:

Harry shooed his friends out as they gave him winks at his door, before he shut it in their gleeful faces.

A pair of arms from behind him wrapped around his waist, pulling him back to lean on a broad chest. 

“Tom.” Harry tilted his head back to smile at his lover.

The dark-haired man smiled and leaned down to kiss him. Harry could feel the long tongue swiping at his lips, and the hint of the jagged edges of inhumanly sharp teeth.

“It’s time to sleep, Harry.” Tom said.

Harry nodded and allowed himself to be maneuvered into their shared bed, spooned safely in Tom’s arms.

“Good night, Tom.” Harry said, drifting off to sleep.

Tom leaned in behind Harry’s ear and drew in a deep breath. His soul was still as delicious as ever, but Tom would not take it all. He had left behind enough for Harry to survive.

“Even monsters deserve to live.” He murmured against Harry’s soft hair.

Besides, there were more than enough people in the village for him to feed off.


End file.
